Apparatus for steaming textile materials



March 7, 1967 1.. DEVYLERRE I 3,307,381

I APPARATUS FOR STEAMING TEXTILE MATERIALS I Filed July 1, 1964000000000000 ooooooooooo o ooopooooooo //v v: #701? Lyn/e117 DzyyLEKUnited States Patent 9 8 Claims. c1. 685) This invention relates to thetreatment of textile materials with gaseous media, and more particularlyto an apparatus for steaming textile material, such as fibers and fiberaggregates.

It is common practice to expose textile material, such as fibers andfiber aggregates, to live steam in order to impart desired chemical ormechanical properties to the textile material. Known commercial devicesfor steaming fibrous textile material are limited to batch operationbecause of the difliculties inherent in effectively sealing a steamchamber at the inlet and outlet openings for continuously supplied andwithdrawn loose fibers.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a steamingarrangement for fibrous textile materials, which permits treatment ofthe material while it travels through a steam chamber in continuousflow.

Another object is a steaming arrangement in which loss of steam ispractically completely avoided.

Yet another object is the steaming of combed wool and of similarmaterials without mechanical damage to the fibrous material.

With these and other objects in view, the invention in one of itsaspects provides a container having an inlet and an outlet portion andequipped to have steam admitted thereto. A strand of a continuous chainextends in the container from the inlet portion to the outlet portion,and is driven in a direction toward the outlet portion by suitable drivemeans at a certain linear speed. At the inlet portion, the chain passesthrough a mechanical seal which includes a partition plate fixedlysecured to the container and formed with two openings passingtherethrongh in a direction transverse of the direction of chainmovement. The two openings are spaced from each other in a thirddirection which is transverse of the aforementioned two directions. Theplate also has a bore arranged between the two openings and extending inthe direction of movement of the chain. The chain passes through thebore. The seal further includes two rollers. Each roller has two axiallyterminal portions arranged on opposite sides of the partition plate, anda central portion of smaller cross section rotatably received in arespective bore of the partition plate. Drive means are provided forrotating the rollers at a circumferential speed of the terminalportions, which is substantially greater than the linear speed of thechain.

Other features and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description, when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawing, the sole figure of which showsthe essential working elements of a steaming arrange ment of theinvention in a perspective fragmentary view.

There is shown a tubular container 1 of rectangular cross section. Theinternal wall of container 1 is provided with a lining which helps theguiding progression of the textile material moved upwardly of thecontainer. An endless chain 2 is arranged in such a manner that onestrand of the chain passes axially through the container 1 whereas theother strand moves outside the container. The chain portion within thecontainer 1 moves from the left to the right, as viewed in the drawing,that 3,37,38 1 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 is, from an inlet portion to anoutlet portion of the tubular container.

A portion of the container intermediate the inlet and outlet portions'has perforations 6 therethrough and is spacedly enveloped by a casing3. A source of steam communicating with the casing is partly indicatedby a flanged steam supply pipe 3a. Condensate and excess steam areexhausted from the casing 3 through a pipe 3b. The outlet end of thecasing is closed by a flange 30 through which the outlet portion 3d ofthe container 1 passes. The inlet end of the casing will be understoodto be equipped with a similar flange which has been omitted from thedrawing, together with portions of the casing 3 and the container 1, soas better to show details of a mechanical seal 4 in the inlet portion ofthe container 1.

The seal includes a partition plate 7 parallel to the container axis. Afront portion of the plate is bounded by two parallel flat facesparallel to the container axis. The two faces approach each other in thedirection of chain travel so that the trailing edge portion 8 of thepartition plate is wedge shaped. The chain 2 passes through a bore 9 inthe plate 7, and leaves the bore through an exit orifice in the trailingedge portion 8.

The plate 7 has two transverse horizontal openings thereth-rough onopposite sides of the bore 9. The openings provide bearings forrespective rollers 4a, 4b. Each roller has two terminal axial portionsof relatively large diameter adjacent one of the faces of the plate 7,and a central portion of smaller diameter rotatably received in anopening of the plate 7. It will be understood that the radial end facesof the rollers 4a, 4b sealingly engage corresponding opposite walls ofthe container 1, and that further sealing connection is provided betweenthe top and bottom walls of the container 1 and the cylindrical surfacesof the axially terminal portions of the rollers.

The chain 2 has alternating links 10 which extend in a common horizontalplane during the movement of the chain through the container 1, andlinks 11 which extend in a common vertical plane. The vertical links areequipped with horizontally projecting studs 11a.

During its outward movement from the container 1, the chain 2 passesthrough a sealing device 5 mounted on the flange 30. It includes twoshutter flaps 12, 13 attached to the open end of the outlet portion 3dby respective pivot pins 14, 15. The position of the flaps 12, 13 iscontrolled by a pneumatic actuator connected to the flaps by a tubularrack 16 simultaneously meshing with two segment gears 17 respectivelyfastened to the pivot pins 14, 15. Only one segment gear is visible inthe drawing.

The rack 16 is attached to a piston 18 in a cylinder 19. The pistondivides the cylinder cavity into two compartments. The rack 16 ismounted in a stuffing box 16a for movement inwardly and outwardly of thecasing 3. The axial bore of the rack has respective orifices in thecasing 3 and in the compartment of the cylinder 19 remote from thecasing 3. The other cylinder compartment is vented to the atmosphere ina manner not further illustrated.

The rollers 4a, 4b are rotated in opposite directions by an electricmotor 20 through a gear box 21 in such a manner that the oppositecylindrical face portions of the rollers travel inwardly of thecontainer 1. Linear movement of the chain 2 through the container isactuat ed by a motor 22 equipped with a reduction gear 23 (not shown indetail) and driving a sprocket 22. The chain 2 is also trained over anidler 23'. The motors 20 and 22 are respectively connected by conductors24 and 25 to a common control box 26.

The aforedescribed apparatus is operated as follows.

The two separate drive systems are coordinated in such a manner that thelinear speed of the chain 2 is only a fraction of the circumferentialspeed of the exposed cylindrical surfaces of the rollers 4a, 4b. Combedwool or similar loose textile material supplied to the inlet end of thecontainer 1 therefore is gripped by the rollers and moved inwardly ofthe container at a higher speed than that of the chain. Because of itsconfiguration, the chain engages the fibrous material and holds it back.The material passes between the rollers 4a, 4b which may be movabletoward and away from each other, and urged into engagement by springs ina conventional manner not further illustrated, and is then released bythe rollers. Further movement of the material toward the outlet end ofthe container 1 is mainly actuated by the chain 2, and to a smallerextent by the pressure of additional material.

Because of the sudden reversal of the relative speeds of chain andtextile material in the inlet portion of the container 1, the materialis tightly packed and forms an effective vapor seal. The compactedmaterial is drawn through the remainder of the container 1 by the chain2 in a manner very similar to the extraction of a bottle stopper by acork screw. As the material passes the perforations 6, it is exposed tothe steam in the casing 3. The pressure of the steam tends to expel thesteamed material through the outlet portion 3d. The flaps 12, 13counteract the expelling force of the steam, the arrangement being suchthat the effective size of the opening between the flaps, 12, 13 isinversely related to the steam pressure in the casing because of theconnection between the outer compartments of the cylinder 19 and thecasing. The steamed material is, therefore, further compressed in theoutlet portion 3d and forms an effective vapor tight seal.

The interior surfaces of the tubular container 1 should be highlypolished to minimize frictional drag and ensuing damage to the materialconveyed through the container by the chain 1. Friction between thematerial and the container walls is not necessary for preventing theescape of steam from the apparatus to the atmosphere.

In its elementary aspects, the drive arrangement for the rollers 4a, 4band for the sprocket 22 may include two synchronous alternating currentmotors having different rotary speeds, and further modifications ofoperat ing speed may be brought about by suitably selecting thetransmission ratios of the gear devices 21, 23 or in using a knowndevice to vary the speed instead of gear devices 21, 23. Because of theconnection of the motors to a common source of alternating current, thedesired speed difference between the rollers and the chain is readilymaintained.

It is preferred, however, to use direct current variable speed motors2th, 22 and to interconnect them in such a manner by conventionalelectronic controls that the motor speeds may be varied as needed whilethe difference or ratio of the individual motor speeds is held at afixed value. The necessary control circuits are known, and not inthemselves relevant to this invention. The control apparatus is thusillustrated merely by the box 26 in which it is enclosed.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosurerelates only to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it isintended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of theinvention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do notconstitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention setforth in the appended claims.

\Vnat is claimed is:

1. A steaming arrangement for textile material comprising, incombination:

(a) a container having an inlet portion and an outlet portion;

(b) means for admitting steam to said container;

(c) a continuous chain member, a portion of said chain member extendingin said container'from said inlet portion to said outlet portion;

(d) first drive means for continuously moving said chain member in saidcontainer in a direction from said inlet portion to said outlet portionat a predetermined speed;

(e) sealing means in said inlet portion, said sealing means comprising(1) a partition member fixedly secured to said container and formed withtwo openings thereth-nough transverse of the direction of movement ofsaid chain member, said openings being spaced from each othertransversely of said direction of movement, and with a 'bore extendingin said direction of movement intermediate said openings, said chainmember being received in said bore for passage therethroug'h, and

(2) two roller members arranged for rotation about respectivesubstantially parallel spaced axes, each roller member having twoaxially terminal portions and a central axial portion of smaller crosssection than the cross sections of the corresponding terminal portions,said central portions being respectively received in said openings forrotation about said axes; and.

(f) second drive means for rotating said roller members at acircumferential speed of the terminal portions thereof which issubstantially greater than said predetermined speed.

2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising sealingmeans in said outlet portion, said chain passing through the lastmentioned sealing means.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising connectingmeans connecting said first and second drive means for maintaining apredetermined difference between said circumferential speed and saidpredetermined speed.

4. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein a portion of saidcontainer is formed with a plurality of perforations therein, and saidmeans for admitting steam include a casing member spacedly envelopingsaid container portion, and a source of steam communicating with saidcasing.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said chain member iselongated and is composed of a plurality of longitudinally consecutivelink members, said link members being flat, and each link memberextending in a longitudinal plane angularly offset from the plane of anadjacent link member.

6. An arrangement as set forth in claim 5, further comprising stud meansprojecting frOm said link members transversely of the direction ofelongation of said chain member.

7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said partition memberhas two opposite faces spaced in the direction of the axes of saidroller members, said faces converging in said direction of movement todefine a wedge-shaped trailing edge portion of said partition member,said bore having an orifice in said edge portion.

3. A steaming arrangement for textile material com-- prising, incombination:

(a) a tubular container having an axis, an inlet portion and an outletportion axially spaced from said inlet portion, and a portionintermediate said inlet and outlet portions formed with a plurality ofperforations therethrough;

(b) a casing spacedly enveloping said intermediate con tainer portion;

(c) a conduit communicating with said casing for ad* mitting steamthereto;

(d) a continuous chain, a portion of said chain being outside saidcontainer, and another portion axially extending in said containerbetween said inlet and outlet portions;

5 6 (e) first drive means for continuously moving said portion ofsmaller cross section than the cross chain in said container in adirection from said inlet sections of the corresponding terminalportions, portion toward said outlet portion; each central portion beingrotatably received in (f) sealing meansat said inlet portion, saidsealing a respective one of said openings;

means including 5 (f) second drive means for rotating said roller mem-(1) a partition member fixedly secured in said bers about the respectiveaxes thereof; and

container and having two opposite major faces, (g) speed control meansconnected to said first and said faces having respective portionssubstansecond drive means for controlling rotation of said tiallyparallel to each other and to the direction roller members at acircumferential speed of said 1 of movement of said chain and respectiveother 10 terminal portions thereof which is substantially portionscoverging in said directi of ove greater than the linear speed of saidchain.

ment and jointly defining a wedge-shaped trailing edge portion of saidpartition member, References Cited by the Examiner (2) said partitionmember being formed with two UNITED STATES PATENTS spaced openingstherethrough connecting said 15 3 00 5 1 3 Dixon 3 5 4 parallel faceportions, and with a bore inter- 34,359 4 190 Brennan 5 4 mediate saidface portions and substantially 1,092,976 4/1914 Cilley 68-55 parallelthereto, said bore having an orifice in 2,520,202 8/1950 Frearson et al685.5 X said trailing edge portion, said chain being mov- 20 3,045,4617/ 1962 Saito 685.5

ably received in said bore, and (3) two roller members, each rollermember hav- IRVING BUNEVICH P'mmry Exammw' ing two axially terminalportions and a central WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner.

1. A STEAMING ARRANGEMENT FOR TEXTILE MATERIAL COMPRISING, INCOMBINATION: (A) A CONTAINER HAVING AN INLET PORTION AND AN OUTLETPORTION; (B) MEANS FOR ADMITTING STEAM TO SAID CONTAINER; (C) ACONTINUOUS CHAIN MEMBER, A PORTION OF SAID CHAIN MEMBER EXTENDING INSAID CONTAINER FROM SAID INLET PORTION TO SAID OUTLET PORTION; (D) FIRSTDRIVE MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY MOVING SAID CHAIN MEMBER IN SAID CONTAINERIN A DIRECTION FROM SAID INLET PORTION TO SAID OUTLET PORTION AT APREDETERMINED SPEED; (E) SEALING MEANS IN SAID INLET PORTION, SAIDSEALING MEANS COMPRISING (1) A PARTITION MEMBER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAIDCONTAINER AND FORMED WITH TWO OPENINGS THERETHROUGH TRANSVERSE OF THEDIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CHAIN MEMBER, SAID OPENINGS BEING SPACEDFROM EACH OTHER TRANSVERSELY OF SAID DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT, AND WITH ABORE EXTENDING IN SAID DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT INTERMEDIATE SAID OPENINGS,SAID CHAIN MEMBER BEING RECEIVED IN SAID BORE FOR PASSAGE THERETHROUGH,AND (2) TWO ROLLER MEMBERS ARRANGED FOR ROTATION ABOUT RESPECTIVESUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SPACED AXES, EACH ROLLER MEMBER HAVING TWOAXIALLY TERMINAL PORTIONS AND A CENTRAL AXIAL PORTION OF SMALLER CROSSSECTION THAN THE CROSS SECTIONS OF THE CORRESPONDING TERMINAL PORTIONS,SAID CENTRAL PORTIONS BEING RESPECTIVELY RECEIVED IN SAID OPENINGS FORROTATION ABOUT SAID AXES; AND (F) SECOND DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAIDROLLER MEMBERS AT A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPEED OF THE TERMINAL PORTIONSTHEREOF WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SPEED.